Ireland played no cricket in the 2000 Triple Crown in Wales. There were three "bowl outs" so bad was the weather. In Dublin in 1999 Ireland were whitewashed in the Tournament for the first time since its inception in 1993. Of the 1999 squad only three travelled to Sussex in mid August for the 2001 Tournament. They were PJ Davy, PG Gillespie and AD Patterson. 13 players were allowed but Ireland ended up with 12 when Heasley cried off late and was not replaced (IP Shields would have done so.).
After his 51st Cap -v- Australia Matt Dwyer had retired and Jordan McGonigle, 19 years of age, and a slow left armer like Dwyer, was brought in as was another 19 year old batsman John Mooney brother of Paul. Molins and Paul Mooney, who had played -v- Australia, were not available while Mark Patterson and Eagleson were not selected. Ed Joyce was now playing for Middlesex and RW McDaid, 12th man -v- Australia, was brought in to complete the party with Mark Gillespie and Armstrong. So six of the 12 had been in Toronto McCallan, McCoubrey, A Patterson, D Joyce, P Davy and White.
The County Ground at Horsham was a picture on a warm sunny day. Ireland left out J Mooney and batted on winning the toss on a pitch that was not so good as it looked. The start was splendid. Patterson and White put on 66 in 15 overs. Then White got a leading edge and pushed slow left armer Jenkins to silly mid off. 66-1-27. Patterson and Davy advanced the score to 89 after 21 overs. Then came Ireland's old habit of being unable to combat leg spin. The leg spinner, Bell, came on for over 16. At the end of the 27th over the score was 98 for six! Davy was dropped at slip in Bell's second over. In his fourth over a long hop was hit straight up to short mid wicket due to Davy's too fast swing of the bat.
Joyce and McCallan both failed to score. Joyce lasted two balls and was stumped dragging his foot. McCallan lasted five balls and was caught at the wicket pushing forward. Both of these were Bell's victims but, in between, Patterson was lbw to P Jenkins for 39. The sixth wicket in this collapse of five wickets for nine runs was Mark Gillespie's. Head up he missed a pull and was bowled giving P Jenkins a third wicket. P Gillespie and Armstrong now tried to retrieve the situation. In 12 overs they added only 26 but saw off Bell (three for 29 in his 10 overs) and P Jenkins (three for 24). The opening bowlers were not recalled. Jones came on bowling off spin and J Sylvester at medium pace. 100 was up in over 30, 50 had arrived in over 12. At 124 P Gillespie hooked Sylvester to deep square leg where Gage took a great catch diving to his right and falling backwards. McDaid came in but lost Armstrong in Sylvester's next over. He slashed to a wide ball and was caught high up at gully by P Jenkins. This was in over 42 and now it was a question as to whether Ireland could bat out the 50 overs. They did not. Three more overs sufficed.
McDaid hit Jones for a six. Next ball he played not too far from R Sylvester at short leg. McGonigle, batting for Ireland for the first time, called a run. Sylvester's throw hit the non-striker's wicket with McDaid well out. 11 were put on for the last wicket, the fourth best partnership, before McGonigle was lbw.
Other than the opening pair there were few redeeming features in Ireland's batting. Jenkins and Bell were the only two to bowl 10 overs for Wales. Jenkins for 24, Bell for 29.
To some degree the Welsh innings followed the Irish pattern. 16 for two was not as good a start, but this became 80 for two at one stage. Then 85 for five and 134 for eight but Wales staggered home in 43 overs.
Each of the opening bowlers, McCoubrey and Armstrong took an early wicket. McCoubrey hit the top of J Sylvester's wicket in the fourth over while, in the seventh, Armstrong had S Jenkins caught at the wicket. A Jones and H Sylvester set about a recovery and wasted no time about it. 50 came up in over 14 and 80 in 22, so that in 15 overs 64 were put on. White and McDaid had five overs between them for 23 runs. Then McGonigle and McCallan came on. They stemmed the scoring rate and eventually took four wickets between them from overs 23 to 31.
At 80 A Jones (45) came down the pitch to McGonigle but not far enough and was caught at short cover, running in, to give the bowler his first international wicket. Jones's 45 was the highest score of the match. He faced 72 balls and hit seven fours. R Sylvester went at 84. He slashed McCallan to deep gully where McGonigle added his first International catch to his first wicket. In the same over, and one run later, Lovell gave Davy a bat pad catch at silly mid off.
The next pair, Bell and L Jones, put on 25 in six overs, bringing 100 up in over 29 and taking 11 off one McCallan over including four wides. Then, in his ninth over, McGonigle had Bell lbw playing across the line. Newcomer Gage offered a difficult catch to Davy at short leg but the seventh wicket added 13 before L Jones was run out. A high return from Joyce to the bowler McCoubrey was backed up by McCallan who threw the wicket down.
Metson, former Middlesex and Glamorgan wicket-keeper, now joined Gage. 11 were put on. Armstrong returned. The first ball gave up four leg byes. The second was hit by Metson to short extra cover where P Gillespie took a good overhead catch. Davies came in and hit a two and a four. So despite taking a wicket the over cost 10 and the score was now 140. In two overs Gage got nine of the 10 required to win.
A bad start for Ireland which, perhaps, might have been a win with 30 more runs. At 89 for one in 21 overs a score well in excess of 200 was possible. In the other match England beat the holders, Scotland, at Arundel. AJ Jones's 45 runs won him the Man-of-the-Match Award. It should have gone to Bell whose bowling won the match for Wales.